Archer Materials Limited (ASX:AXE) has intersected shallow, high grade Kaolin in its latest drilling campaign at the Eyre Peninsula Halloysite-Kaolin Project (EP Project) in South Australia.
Executive Chairman, Greg English, said the recent drilling completed at the EP Project was successful in recovering kaolin which in some instances has reported grades of up to 36.8% Al2O3 over downhole lengths of 18m. A number of these samples will be selected for additional test work.
“We are pleased with the results from the latest drilling at the EP Project with high-grade kaolin intercepted from the surface,” Mr English said.
“To intercept high grade kaolin near the surface is a great result. The drill results from the EP Project complement the recent drill and metallurgical test results from the Franklyn Halloysite-Kaolin Project.
“As a company, we are fortunate to have two substantial discrete Halloysite-Kaolin projects at Franklyn and the Eyre Peninsula.”
The EP Project comprises the Kelly Tank, Bunora and Bunora East prospects and is located 115km west of the Whyalla Port, South Australia. The EP Project is separate to the company’s Franklyn Halloysite-Kaolin Project which is located approximately 220km east of the EP Project.
Mr English said rhe latest drill results are in line with company expectations as eight out of the 21 holes drilled were purposely designed to confirm historical drill results.
While historical drilling had intersected kaolin mineralisation, the exact location of the drillholes and the sampling and analytical details of the drill core were uncertain.
Mr English said the company’s drilling of holes near historic drill holes also allowed the company to collect material needed for additional test work.
Drilling showed that the geology appears slightly different at each of the Prospects, which may offer opportunities to develop products with different halloysite and kaolin specifications. White kaolin was recovered from each prospect with the fine screened fraction reporting the favourable result of low iron impurity levels.
Each of the Prospects that were drilled are at least 5km apart and represent large areas.
Mr English said the results from the latest drilling and test work will allow the company to accurately target and focus future exploration efforts and thereby de-risk the development of the EP Project.
Kaolin and halloysite are alumina-based clays, that can naturally occur intermixed, and are part of a larger A$3 billion construction materials industry in Australiq.
These materials have recently emerged as a potential feedstock in processing high-value and hard-to-substitute high- purity alumina (HPA) that could be used in deep-tech applications such as light-emitting diodes and lithium-ion batteries; with halloysite having a nanostructure that may allow its use as an efficient catalyst in the petrochemicals industry.
